African neurosurgery. Part II : Current state and future prospects.

A survey conducted among African neurosurgeons shows that there are now 500 neurosurgeons in Africa ; that is, one neurosurgeon for 1,350,000 inhabitants, and 70,000 km2.

The distribution of these neurosurgeons shows a striking regional disparity :

North Africa has 354 neurosurgeons for 119 million inhabitants ;

that is, one neurosurgeon for 338,000 inhabitants ;

and South Africa has 65 neurosurgeons for 40 million inhabitants ;

that is, one neurosurgeon for 620,000 inhabitants.

Between these two areas where neurosurgery is developing quite well, we have the majority of African countries with a scant density of neurosurgeons (81 neurosurgeons for 515 million inhabitants ; that is, one neurosurgeon for 6,368,000 inhabitants).